Munda invited to form Jharkhand govt

Jharkhand will on Saturday get another Bharatiya Janata Party-Jharkhand Mukti Morcha government, headed this time by BJP's Arjun Munda - who will be taking over as chief minister for the third time.

indiaUpdated: Sep 09, 2010 19:15 IST

IANS

Jharkhand will on Saturday get another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) government, headed this time by BJP's Arjun Munda - who will be taking over as chief minister for the third time.

With the central cabinet on Thursday approving the lifting of President's Rule, Munda has been formally invited by Governor MOH Farook to form the government in the state.

A letter was sent to Munda in the afternoon inviting him to take oath as chief minister, and prove his majority within one week of being sworn-in.

The 42-year-old Munda, a Lok Sabha MP from Jamshedpur, will be sworn-in 11 am on September 11. The JMM legislative party leader Hemant Soren and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) president Sudesh Mahto are expected to be sworn-in as deputy chief ministers with him.

Earlier, Munda went to Raj Bhavan around 12.40 pm to meet the governor along with Soren and Mahto.

"The governor called us informally and wanted to know when we will take oath. I suggested Sep 11. When we are invited formally, then we will inform the Raj Bhawan," Munda told reporters after the meeting.

He said his "priorities will be sadak, bijli and pani (roads, electricity and drinking water)".

"I am taking charge of the state when the state is reeling under a drought situation. Improving law and order situation will also be among my priorities," he said.

Munda staked claim on Tuesday to forming the government with the support of 45 legislators of his own BJP besides the JMM, the AJSU, the Janata Dal-United and two independents.

Munda is now holding talks with party leaders and alliance partner about the shape of the government.

The oath-taking ceremony is expected to be a simple affair with not many central BJP leaders expected to attend as the initiatives towards forming the government were mainly taken by Munda and BJP president Nitin Gadkari.